


Three In The Morning

by julietswildchild



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Recreational Drug Use, nsfw references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 03:02:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20324011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julietswildchild/pseuds/julietswildchild
Summary: Jane comes to Tommy after a wild night out and ends up sharing a bed with him.Fits well with the song “Why’d you only call me when you’re high” by Arctic Monkeys.





	Three In The Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Background: Set between seasons 3-4. Jane has a long history with Tommy and they have feelings for each other, but feel like things could never work out. Jane was severely injured trying to save Charlie from Father Hughes, and once she recovered, she and Tommy caved to their inner desires for a night. After they parted ways, Jane feels the heavy burden of carrying the arrested Shelbys load by herself. To soothe the aches of the world, Jane indulges in wild nights out.

This one-shot thing is part of a full-length story I’m working on. I’m just wanting to get this out there to sort of “test the waters” as to what people think of my writing, as I’ve taken a big break from it. I hope whatever context I give you makes sense! I really wanted to see what people thought of a new era of my fanfiction. Please let me know what you think! I really need feedback on this if I’m going to continue.

____

As the restless creature of the night she had become, Jane found herself curled up in another man’s bed within an hour of finishing with the first. With cocaine dusted on the tip of her nose, she lay peacefully in the embrace of the warm bed, an unfamiliar pair of lips against the tender skin of her neck. When the man’s wandering hands tugged at her underwear, she placed her hands around them and gently pried them away.

“Not tonight, please.” she spoke gently. She’d already had enough of a fucking tonight, she was here simply to remind herself that she didn’t need to sleep alone in her massive house for once.

“Aw, come on, I’ll go easy on you, love,” he cooed, teeth tugging at the shell of her ear.

“I’m tired, baby. Just want you to hold me tonight,” Jane pouted.

The man on top of her sighed, “You think you can come into my bedroom looking like a fucking sex goddess and expect to cuddle?” he gave her a sly smile, “I don’t think so.” he then grabbed her wrists and pushed them above her head, his lips coming to meet hers. His tongue slipped into her mouth before she could register what he was doing. Trying to wriggle out of his clutches, he simply held her firmer against the musty smelling mattress.

Suddenly frustrated with the direction this meeting was turning, Jane bit down on the man’s bottom lip. Jane’s tongue tasted the blood nearly instantly and the man winced, pulled away.

“What the hell?” he frowned at her, shocked by Jane’s response.

“I said, I don’t want to fuck.” she raised her eyebrows, snapping at him. Taking advantage of the man’s state of surprise, she shoved him off her and slipped out of the bed. The man sat, his face taut with disgust for her actions as he glared at her.

Jane just pulled herself together, tugging her dress back over her body, straightening it and reaching for her heels.

“What, do you think you’re just going to leave after that?!” he snapped, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, eyes fixed on Jane.

“Yes, because I told you what I wanted and you took advantage of it,” Jane addressed him in a clipped tone.

“Then what the hell do you expect me to do with this?!” the man pointed to the obvious bulge in his underwear, “Your harlot pussy needs to finish what you started!” he yelled.

Jane glared straight back at him, her cheeks flushed in anger at how she had misjudged the situation. “You have a hand. Fucking use it.” she hissed, stomping out of the room.

“Fucking hell, woman! Why are you here if you didn’t come to fuck!” the man snapped, his teeth practically bared at Jane, his brow in a deep frown.

“ ‘Cause I needed company, goddamnit!” she shrieked, hands flying out to her sides dramatically.

“Fucking ‘company’ my ass, missy! When will you learn that men will only ever fuck women like you!” he growled, chasing after Jane as she fled the room.

“Says the one that will never have a family because women won’t put up with him!”

“You fucking bitch of a whore! I can’t stand to look at you’re fucking doe-eyes trying to sweeten me! Get out!” he roared. He rushed at her, the fear catching in her throat as she fled from the room, down the stairs and to the front door. There, he stood behind her as she fumbled to grab her coat off the hook, his shoulders broad and his skin glowing with heat that radiated from his fury. His face was the ugliest thing she had ever seen, she thought, all screwed up, red and eyes as wild as a tiger’s. Yanking the door open, she finally summoned the courage to take a final stand.

“Except I’m not a whore, you pig, because I won’t fuck people I don’t want.” with that, she ran out the door, terrified he would follow her. Her hands shook when she tried to unlock her car door, her adrenaline rushing through her body. Finally somewhat safe in her car, she rammed the keys into the ignition and yanked the car into gear.

Jane’s mind was still racing as she drove down the road, not able to fully comprehend where she planned to go. She would never reach her own house this late at night, and she didn’t trust the company of the motels in the next town.

With only the car’s headlights and the glow from the moon to see, Jane soon found herself driving down the road towards Arrow House. She never remembered consciously making the decision, maybe it was just a force of habit.

The car stuttered to a stop outside the large house, a single light illuminating the hollow of Tommy’s office. Jane climbed out of the car, feet unsteady on the gravel as it crunched loudly in the silence of the night.

Jane knew it was too late for the maids to be up, so she snuck around the back of the house in the bitter cold air and found the kitchen window. Tommy’s house was virtually impenetrable by foes, but Jane knew the house’s weaknesses as she prized the window open.

Squeezing through the tight window rather unceremoniously, she climbed down off one of the benches until her heels hit the floor.

Taking her obnoxiously loud shoes off, she crept through the rooms in her socks. Jane could hear motion down the hall and she hoped that she hadn’t roused Tommy or Charlie. Holding her breath as she reached the foyer, she stepped around the corner and was harshly slammed against the wall, the feeling of a gun barrel to her temple unmistakable even in the dark. She instantly knew the body in front of her belonged to a certain Thomas Shelby by his signature scent Jane knew so well.

“The fuck are you doing in my house!” he whispered sharply, almost with a snap. Jane released a breath.

“Geez, Tommy, nice to see you too!” she huffed, shoving him off her when his grip loosened. She swept the ruffled hair away from her face.

“Jane, what are you doing here?” Tommy looked tired, his frown etched deep on his forehead, the gun lowering. Jane took in his tousled appearance, his tie missing, his top buttons undone, his breath smelling of his late-night whiskey and his hair as though he had run his hands through it a million times.

She stomped past him for the stairs. “Well I certainly didn’t expect to get jumped by you after I climbed through a window!” she called out behind her, her tone nearly a laugh, but Tommy knew she wasn’t happy.

“Hey, get back here,” he snapped in a whisper, “I won’t have you waking Charlie!” He hadn’t been in a mood to deal with extra issues, let alone a most likely drunk and possibly high Jane at 3 in the morning. He also didn’t want her dragging her problems around his house like he could predict she was about to do.

“I just want to sleep, Tommy,” she whined, pausing and staring up at the ceiling, her brown eyes glazed and empty. Tommy sighed, there went his plans of getting a solid night of work done.

“Fucking hell, Jane.” he muttered and took her by thearm rather harshly. He practically dragged her up the stairs, her body swaying.

“Don’t be mad, Tommy,” Jane groaned.

“And why would I be mad?” Tommy asked, exasperated. They had reached the threshold of the second floor and supported Jane when she stumbled over the last step.

“ ‘Cause you think I’ve gone off the rails,” she mumbled quietly, frustrated at herself that her night had come to this. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, Tom,” she closed her eyes, catching a breath, “I wasn’t gonna make it back to mine. I probably would have killed myself if I tried to drive through the night,” she laughed dryly.

“So you thought you’d come here to sleep it off, eh?” Tommy sighed.

Jane nodded, sleep encroaching on her mind.

“Right, well, which room do you want?” he prompted.

Jane sighed in defeat. She gave Tommy a timid smile. “Yours,” she gulped, knowing this would be allowing her heart to enter dangerous waters, “I’ve been lonely all night.”

Her reply baffled Tommy. He paused, studying the unreadable look in her eye. “I’m still working,” he replied tightly.

Jane snorted. “This late, Tommy? Take a fucking break for heaven’s sake.”

Tommy looked up at the ceiling. Jane’s breath, reeking of whatever alcohol she had drunk fluttered against his neck with the proximity of how close they were standing. Resting would do him no good. He needed to work in order to keep his mind busy and sleeping next to Jane would just muddle his brain more than he needed. His jaw clenched, debating. Sleep had not been a friend of his for many years, his brain fickle within his skull as it tortured him with images he had tried to flush away with whiskey and opium.

As if Jane had read his mind, she spoke softly, her pupils still enlarged from the cocaine, “You don’t have to sleep, just keep me company for a bit?”

After a moment, Tommy met her large brown eyes. “Not for long,” he conceded. Jane replied with a tight smile. “I’ll be there in a moment,” he released his hold on her arms, allowing her to move towards his room.

When Jane entered his room, Tommy took a moment to gather himself. They hadn’t been close to each other since the moment they shared after Jane had recovered from her accident. Tommy had been unable to stop thinking about it, the memory often making itself known at obscure moments, like when he’d see a blouse at the market similar to the one she wore that night or the time he found himself lying on the side of his bed he had laid in when she had rolled her hips against his, her body filled by his. Lying next to her would be dangerous. He didn’t want to explore the thoughts that entered his mind when she was close to him. Tommy’s strategy to keep his distance was likely to slip if he let his guard down. Lighting a cigarette to calm settle his worries, he followed shortly after Jane.

Jane was hanging her thick, black coat on the back of a chair when he entered and her eyes met his with an intensity Tommy knew was dangerous: for the both of them.

Jane looked away first. “Dress on or off?” she asked, her voice vulnerable.

“Off. You can have one of my shirts.” Tommy replied thickly, moving for his wardrobe.

As Jane shimmied out of her sequined dress, Tommy grabbed a shirt and turned to her. Fuck, this was dangerous, he thought, subconciously admiring her toned legs, long and elegant.

At that moment, Jane turned, and Tommy chucked the shirt to her, averting his gaze from her graceful curves.

“Shirt on or off?” he muttered, watching her shrug the clean undershirt on over her bra. She glanced at him, contemplating the storm brewing between them.

“However you’re comfortable,” she spoke in a hushed tone, the tension in the room pressing against her lungs.

Jane timidly crawled into Tommy’s big bed, laying her head against one of the pillows, the smell of Tommy engulfing her. She couldn’t help but stare at him in that moment, his cufflinks being dropped onto the dresser, his tie being pulled loose of his neck, the buttons of his shirt being undone. His shirt soon came off his shoulders, leaving him in just his undershirt. Jane couldn’t deny how much she loved seeing him like this, with little of his toned shoulders and chest left to imagination. His pants came next, and Jane looked away, a slight blush warming her cheeks when he caught her staring. She closed her eyes to avoid the tension, feeling the mattress sink away from her as he settled into bed beside her.

Tommy lay on his back facing the ceiling, the air dense around them. He had felt Jane’s dark eyes on him the whole time he had undressed and it had brought a sinful shiver to his spine. Then she had to fucking blush. Tommy should have just turned and left, not daring to climb into bed beside such a temptress.

Jane pressed her eyes shut, praying that Tommy hadn’t seen her blush. She didn’t want to have to fight her inner desires tonight, but up they came, like the hungry, roaring lion they were. With her nose pressed into his pillow, she tried to ignore Tommy’s presence beside her. It was a mistake to ask for his company like this, when she was weakened by lack of sleep, loneliness, booze and drugs.

Tommy cleared his throat. “So how come you’re out so late?” he inquired.

Jane opened her eyes, meeting his icy blue ones in the dark. She could feel the weight of her activities tonight pressing on her shoulders. Seeing the tenderness in Tommy’s eyes scared her. She was ashamed of what her life consisted of these days, not that Tommy did anything differently, but somehow she wanted to be better than she was. Her throat was constricted and her jaw clenched. How pathetic, that she was so desperate for comfort.

“Jane?” he pressed, his hand coming to touch hers where it rested on his pillow.

“Do you ever get lonely?” Jane spoke, her tone unreadable to Tommy, “We all live in such big houses, but they’re so empty, aren’t they?” she looked at him, her eyes wide. Tommy waited for her to continue, “So far from everything else. Like a great big island that takes a big ship and a dedicated sailor to reach.” she sighed. “Do you ever just spend nights in the city to feel less alone? In another’s bed to pretend that they’re yours?” Jane whispered, her eyes now raw with emotion.

Tommy’s lips pursed in reaction to her confession, his hand slipping into hers beside her head. “You leave before the morning?” he questioned gently.

Jane closed her eyes and shook her head. “I stay the night if things work out.” She was guarding her building tears from Tommy now.

“What happened tonight?” he breathed, his gaze fixed on Jane’s closed eyes, sensing the vulnerability she was hiding. He observed how she pressed her face into his pillow more and he squeezed her hand. “Hey? You can tell me, Jane.” he persisted, knowing she wouldn’t tell him if he didn’t press her.

Jane’s brow furrowed in a frown, her walls breaking. Tommy’s gentle voice was the one thing Jane Thompson couldn’t fight against. She hating him seeing her like this, all weak and “girl crying” as some of the Blinders called it. She gripped the pillow, hugging it with her hair falling over her face. A tear slipped from her eye and trickled down beside her nose.

Tommy hated seeing Jane like this. He knew she hated him seeing her like this too. Even with the soft brown hair shielding her delicate face, he could still see the glassy tear escape her closed eyes. His heart lurched in his chest. If he had his way, he would have Jane watched at all times to protect her from danger, but he knew he couldn’t. Tommy ignored her attempts to hide from him, pulled her arms away from his poor pillow and around his neck instead, his own arms engulfing her, holding her close as she let him.

“Oh Jane,” he sighed, glad he could feel her arms tighten around him instead of his damned pillow. “Tell me what happened.”

Jane sniffed, her voice muffled by the warmth of Tommy’s shoulder, “It’s stupid.”

“It can’t be. You know the amount of stupid things I do, sweetheart.” he scoffed.

She let out a shuddering sigh and Tommy could feel her hot breath through his shirt. “I went to a man’s house,” she paused, “I could only put up with him fucking me once, so I left,” another pause, “Then I went to the house of another man I knew. I didn’t want to fuck, but he did. I just wanted to feel less lonely, but that didn’t work.” Tommy could feel hot tears seeping through his shirt onto his collarbone.

“Then what happened?” he coaxed, his large hands gentle against her back.

“Tommy…” Jane cried, emotions pouring out faster than she could plug the holes.

“Tell me what happened.” Tommy insisted, much firmer this time, needed to know the end of the story, if only to settle the concern burning in his chest.

“I just can’t handle things as well as I should at the moment,” she cautioned, “He called me names. Nothing I haven’t heard before, though.” she trailed off. She tried to untangle herself from Tommy, the man’s words ringing through her head.

Tommy wouldn’t allow her to get away. He held her still, but forced her to look at him. “What did he say to you, Jane?” he demanded sternly.

Jane tried to harden herself in self-preservation, so with a steady voice, she replied. “Harlot. Fucking bitch of a woman. He told me that men will only ever fuck women like me. That love will always be out of our reach.”

Tommy’s jaw clenched. “He told you that, did he?” It wasn’t a question. His lips twisting in a frown.

Jane rolled her eyes, her face still tear-stained and flushed. “It’s fine, I think he was drunk. I’m used to it anyway.” she defended, but as she saw the disapproving look on Tommy’s face, she knew she had only made the situation worse. “Tommy, don’t make this harder…”

Tommy simply ignored her, cutting straight over her plea. “Who else calls you names, Jane?” he demanded.

“No one! I don’t know?” she waved her hands around, “People on the street,” she shrugged, “people in the casinos and clubs I guess… I’m fine though, Tommy!”

Tommy gripped her shoulders, “You listen to me, if anyone calls you names again, I want you to sock them good in the mouth. Cut them if you want, you’re basically a Blinder. If they come after ya, tell me.” he said seriously.

“I know, okay? Can we forget about this now?” Jane pleaded.

Tommy’s eyes, flaring with flames of anger, were soon reduced to smouldering coals by the sound of her soft voice. They both lay in the quiet for a moment, their eyes meeting in a show of understanding. Jane knew Tommy felt a form of her loneliness since Grace died.

“I won’t forget it, but we don’t have to talk about it anymore.” Tommy spoke softly. He pulled her closer to him, his nose pressed to her hair, inhaling the sweet smell of her he hated to love.

Jane wrapped her hands around Tommy again, reveling in the feel of the strong, taut muscles of his back and shoulders. He was big and warm, heavy and gentle, everything Jane wanted in that moment.

“Thank you,” she mumbled into his neck. She never knew if he heard it, but she was grateful that he didn’t make as much of a fuss as he sometimes did when things angered him.

They were both silent for a long time. Neither of them knew if the other was awake, but regardless, both of them felt peace in that moment, wrapped in the arms of the person they couldn’t have. It both hurt and healed them, their hearts breaking each others, yet healing them from the pains of the world.

“You know,” Jane began, pulling her face out of Tommy’s shoulder, “he said I was a sex goddess,” she smiled to herself, and if Tommy’s face had not been buried in her hair, he would have seen the sparkle in her eye as she spoke.

Tommy pulled back to see her face, unsure of how to react. Relieved that she wasn’t upset, he replied smartly, “Well, he’s not wrong, sweetheart.” he chuckled, a wry smile on his lips.

Jane chuckled, biting her lip in amusement, Tommy smirking in return.

“Oh, you have no idea, Mr Shelby,” she whispered cheekily, a grin on her face.

Tommy was glad she wasn’t crying anymore, but this mood could be even more dangerous. Still, he played along with her, refusing to let her have all the fun on her own.

“I think I have some idea…” he muttered, his lips brushing against her ear.

Jane rolled them so that Tommy was on his back, looking up at her with his pale eyes darkening. She leant down to his ear, pulling his lobe between her teeth with a tug.

“Mmm?” she teased, taunting him, “What do you know of what I can do?”

Tommy’s hands slid to Jane’s hips, holding them to his while he looked up at her, almost daring her to do to him whatever she had in her mind.

“Well,” his eyes twinkled with amusement, “I know for a fact that you can ride my cock as well as you can play poker,” he began rubbing circles into her hip, dangerously close to her ass, “and that you can take me for more than two rounds, although I haven’t tested how for you can really go,” his hands moved to cover the ample flesh of her butt, his hands hot even through the material of the shirt that fell over it, “I also know that making you cum when my fingers curl deep inside of you makes your toes curl.”

Holy Mother Mary, Jane thought, Tommy’s husky dirty talk did things to her that she could never admit.

“And fuck,” Tommy whispered, “that moan when you came around Thomas Shelby’s cock, that… now that, was enough to make any man follow you down to hell.” he finished with a cheeky grin.

Praying that Tommy couldn’t feel the dampness from her core, Jane leant down to meet Tommy’s lips in a tantalisingly slow kiss, each teasing the other with slow lips.

Tommy’s mouth was as hot as Jane remembered, wet and welcoming when her tongue entered. No wonder all the women swooned for him and chased after him, even when he was so far gone, out of reach.

Jane’s mouth was soft and delicate, but oh, so sinful. Tommy knew the only true statement from the man was true in that moment when her tongue twisted with his.

The kiss became increasingly more needy, each seeming to try and suck a part of the other’s soul out of them. Maybe, in that moment, they did. Their hands were clutching, grabbing, caressing, fisting at each other, savouring even just this moment in each other’s embrace. They needed to stop. Oh how they needed to stop!

Just as Tommy’s hand sneaked up between Jane’s silky thighs, they both sensed that this small while was about to take a fatal turn. Both Jane and Tommy’s eyes met, hands pausing in their ventures.

“We shouldn’t do this,” Tommy murmured, regret heavy in his voice. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Jane nodded in understanding. “I know. It’s okay,” she met his eyes and say the swirl of emotions battling in the dark irises of Tommy’s eyes. “We should get some sleep.”

Lying back in bed, Jane sighed. She turned to her side when Tommy suddenly rose from the bed, swinging his legs over the edge. “And where the hell do you think you’re going?” she scolded.

“I have work to do.” he muttered.

“No you don’t. You just want to avoid me. Just ‘cause we aren’t going to fuck doesn’t mean we can’t share a bed like normal fucking people.”

“Yeah, normal people don’t share beds like this.” Tommy argued.

“Okay, that’s fair,” Jane conceded, “but really, you, mister, need to sleep for once,” she watched his shoulders rise and fall with each breath. “I’ll wake you if the nightmares come?” she tried.

Tommy chuckled dryly, “Don’t try. Not unless you want to be strangled by clay-digger Tommy.”

Jane sighed, reaching out to touch Tommy. She stroked his back soothingly, the muscles beneath her hand still. “Come on, Tom,” she pleaded.

Tommy’s eyes were closed while he was faced away from her, fighting whatever made him want to stay. He couldn’t. They had just fucking made out and now he was expected to just lie stiffly next to her? This just wouldn’t work for him, but his body, after days of restless sleep, was crying out for rest.

Reluctantly, Tommy turned back to Jane and slipped into bed beside her. Settling his head into the downy pillow, he faced the decorated ceiling, a breath released from his lungs.

“If you sneak in again, let me know. Nearly put a bullet in your head tonight, Jane, I don’t wanna do it again.” he muttered, eyes flicking to her face.

“I don’t plan on stopping by. It just happened, but I’ll keep that in mind.” Jane replied sleepily. Turning to her side, she absentmindedly observed Tommy’s profile, his brows draw into a slight frown: his thinking face.

The feeling of Jane’s eyes on him broke his chain of thought and he rolled his eyes. “Can’t think if you keep staring.” he grumbled.

“Exactly,” she smirked, her sleepy, drunk eyes hooded by her thick lashes, framed by her messy hair, “So get out of your head and just fucking sleep, you idiot.”

Tommy’s unintentional pouts had always been one of Jane’s weaknesses. Finally conceding, he turned to face her as she rolled over, her back to him. She grabbed hold of his arm from behind her and pulled it around her waist, snuggling herself into the curve of Tommy’s body. His jaw clenched subconsciously at the feeling of Jane’s soft body just centimetres from his. Fuck, how was it possible to stay sane these days?

“Fucking chill out, Tommy,” Jane grumbled, turning her head to give him a withering look from the corner of her eye.

Tommy simply huffed in response, pulling her closer in challenge to her complaints. WIth his nose pressed to her sweet-smelling hair, his eyelids became lead, becoming impossibly harder to keep open.

Jane was fighting sleep too, enveloped in Tommy’s warm arms, his breath gentle against the nape of her neck.

As the clock in the corner struck over to 4, both lonely souls found themselves slipping into a dreamless sleep.

No dirt crushed Tommy’s lungs that night, no Jerrys breaking through the wall of earth before him, no bullets or shrapnel puncturing his skin.

No endless cycles of uncontrollable crying plagued Jane’s sleep, no man’s heel crushed her ribs in memory of her accident, no pains from former lovers crushing her heart.

Silence filled Tommy’s bedroom aside from the sound of the steady, calm, peaceful breaths falling from their lips.


End file.
